Benicia Magazine

Benicia Magazine Events, things to do, art, education, food and drink, live music, people, history & more. Visit us i

Sixteen years strong, we are a community and lifestyle publication covering events, where to eat, people & profiles, art & culture, home & garden, community updates and more.

Did you know?Americans purchase and use an estimated 4.6 million pounds of wrapping paper each year, and about half of i...
11/29/2025

Did you know?
Americans purchase and use an estimated 4.6 million pounds of wrapping paper each year, and about half of it ends up in landfills. Not only is this wasteful and harmful to the planet, but it’s also an unnecessary financial burden at a time when most of us are trying to be mindful of our spending.

Luckily, wrapping paper isn’t our only option. Here are many eco-friendly alternatives we can turn to instead:
https://www.beniciamagazine.com/earth-friendly-gift-wrapping-ideas/

From all of us at Benicia Magazine, thank you for supporting local stories, local businesses, and the people who make th...
11/27/2025

From all of us at Benicia Magazine, thank you for supporting local stories, local businesses, and the people who make this town feel like home.

Take a night off from cooking this Thanksgiving week and enjoy a relaxing dinner and a movie. 🍽️🎬Our latest Dinner & a M...
11/27/2025

Take a night off from cooking this Thanksgiving week and enjoy a relaxing dinner and a movie. 🍽️🎬

Our latest Dinner & a Movie feature visits Bab’s Delta Diner in Glen Cove for cozy comfort food (with a Korean twist!) plus a feel-good film pick, Hustle, your perfect low-stress night out. Read more on BeniciaMagazine.com.

11/23/2025

💙 Benicia grows stronger when we lift each other up. This month’s Rooted in Benicia feature, by the Benicia Moms Group, celebrates the power of shopping local — and it even includes a sweet bonus: a cozy craft and a delicious recipe of the month.

Try it during the kids’ Thanksgiving break this week and tag us to be featured on our profile here 🪾🍁🍂

Tap in, get inspired, and support the businesses that make our town feel like home ✨

https://www.beniciamagazine.com/bmg-rooted-in-benicia-the-power-of-local-support/

Held on the Friday before Thanksgiving, Pink Friday celebrates small and local business, encouraging shoppers to discove...
11/18/2025

Held on the Friday before Thanksgiving, Pink Friday celebrates small and local business, encouraging shoppers to discover and support them rather than big-box stores during the holiday season.

🎀 Celebrate Pink Friday 🎀
This month, we hope to inspire you to not only celebrate Pink Friday with us, but to challenge yourself to skip the big-box Black Friday frenzy completely and support your local business owners, artists, and neighbors instead. Our dream is to see our community thrive in a way that only happens when we invest in ourselves and our neighbors instead of large corporations.

*In Benicia, we also celebrate Small Business Saturday (November 29th) where Main Street hosts a Santa Sip & Shop Small Wine Walk.

Because when we choose small, we’re making a big difference for our neighbors, our economy, and ourselves.

Learn more about this day at:
https://www.beniciamagazine.com/more-than-a-purchase-the-ripple-effect-of-shopping-local/

Tag your favorite Benicia Shop in the comments to support them!

Benicia Magazine continues to in two beautiful directions. One arrives on your screen every month with fresh local stori...
11/16/2025

Benicia Magazine continues to in two beautiful directions. One arrives on your screen every month with fresh local stories. The other lands in your hands each quarter, thoughtfully printed to savor and collect. ✨
Swipe through to see when each edition is released while it brings our community to life in its own way.

MARYFRANCES KELLY-POH“I always wanted to be an artist, but I knew I was going to starve, so I chose to take another rout...
11/15/2025

MARYFRANCES KELLY-POH
“I always wanted to be an artist, but I knew I was going to starve, so I chose to take another route,” says MaryFrances Kelly-Poh in a matter-of-fact way, about her life path. That route was a career in healthcare, a path that led her to a home in Solano County, meeting her husband in Vallejo, and teaching herself needlepoint. She displays her award-winning needlework and watercolors at First Street Arts Gallery in Benicia. “I’ve done needlework for more than 40 years. I love doing it.” She is entirely self-taught in needlepoint, bargello, and cross-stitch. She stitches almost exclusively using silk and metallic threads, most often creating her own designs.

Kelly-Poh was a charter member of the HQ gallery, formed in 2016, and currently serves as chairperson. The non-profit and volunteer-run gallery was renamed First Street Arts in 2025. Located at 333D on First Street, the gallery has 13 artist members with room for more. “We have introduced a lot of artists to what it’s like to be in a gallery. We do different things, like book readings and classes, to bring people in, to look at the gallery and look at art.”

MaryFrances is a member of the Embroiderers’ Guild of America, the California Watercolor Association, and Arts Benicia. She enjoys working in her garden and growing organic vegetables. For more information, visit https://www.maryfranceskellypoh.com/ and https://www.firststreetarts.org/.

First Street Arts is open Thursday through Sunday, 11 am to 5 pm.

https://www.beniciamagazine.com/stitches-and-strokes-the-art-of-maryfrances-kelly-poh/

Link in bio.

On the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918, an armistice—or temporary cessation of hostilities—was decla...
11/11/2025

On the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918, an armistice—or temporary cessation of hostilities—was declared between the Allied nations and Germany, marking the end of World War I. Originally commemorated as Armistice Day the following year, November 11 became a legal federal holiday in 1938. After World War II and the Korean War, the observance was renamed Veterans Day, honoring all American veterans of every era, including our own.

Veterans Day is a time to recognize and thank all who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces—both living and deceased—for their courage, sacrifice, and dedication to preserving our freedoms. Each year at exactly 11 a.m. on November 11, Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia holds a solemn ceremony beginning with the wreath-laying at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, an awe-inspiring tribute to those who gave their lives in service.

In Benicia, Veterans Day is observed primarily at the Benicia Veterans Memorial Hall (1150 First Street). Our traditions include a flag-raising ceremony, visits to area cemeteries, a ceremonial breakfast, and a main program in the afternoon.

For Veterans Day 2025, a special ceremony will take place at the Memorial Hall on Tuesday, November 11, at 11:45 a.m.

SAN FRANCISCO IN NOVEMBERby Mary Hand“I love heading into San Francisco for the season’s festivities. At the top of my l...
11/09/2025

SAN FRANCISCO IN NOVEMBER
by Mary Hand
“I love heading into San Francisco for the season’s festivities. At the top of my list: the breathtaking Aura light and sound experience at Grace Cathedral, live jazz at The Jazz Room, ice skating (because nothing says “holiday spirit” like clinging to the rail), and the Winter Walk at Union Square — best enjoyed with cocoa, cocktails, or both. Afterward, I recommend sliding into the Starlite Room at The Beacon Grand for fabulous cocktails and people-watching, or making the rounds at the Top of the Mark and The Fairmont, both decked out in full holiday glamour.
No San Francisco December is complete without the Great Dickens Fair (Nov. 22 – Dec. 21 + Friday, Nov. 28). It’s a glorious mashup of shopping, singing, dancing, and—let’s be honest—more drinking.

And for the culture vultures among us, November brings free museum days at the Asian Art Museum, the de Young, and the Conservatory of Flowers. Add in Smuin Ballet’s “The Christmas Ballet”, and you’ve got a perfect mix of class and cheer.

November in San Francisco is truly a magical blend of late-fall coziness and early holiday sparkle — the ideal time to get out, dress up, and soak in the season’s bounty (preferably with something festive in hand).”

Link in bio

https://www.beniciamagazine.com/san-francisco-in-november/

11/04/2025

Benicia PD is participating in the 2025 Winter Warmth & Wellness Drive that is sponsored by Solano County Office of Education and The Faith & Education Collaborative.

Sponsors are requesting the donation of NEW coats, blankets, hats, gloves, socks, umbrellas, pajamas, and/or hygiene kits. The donations will help families and youth in our local community who need items to help them stay warm during in the upcoming cold winter months.

BPD will have a collection bin the lobby of the Police Station (200 East L Street) from 8am-5pm through December 1st.

In a small town like Benicia, the presence of a dedicated space for teens to connect, create, and express themselves is ...
11/04/2025

In a small town like Benicia, the presence of a dedicated space for teens to connect, create, and express themselves is crucial. The Kyle Hyland Foundation for Teen Support (KHF), founded in 2015, stands as a beacon of hope and resilience, offering what few other towns can claim: a safe, welcoming, and creative environment built entirely for our youth.

The foundation was created in memory of Kyle Hyland, a vibrant and empathetic Benicia High School junior who took his life at 16. His parents, Barbara Gervase and George Hyland, found purpose in their grief by establishing the KHF to ensure that “no other family experiences the loss that Kyle’s family suffered.”

Kyle was known not only for his musical talents, playing guitar, keyboard, ukulele, and singing, but also for his deep compassion and sense of humor. “He had a unique ability to make people feel better when they were sad, troubled or upset,” his family shared. “He would frequently seek out kids who were not part of the group, the new kid at school, the kid that was shy or was targeted by bullies.”

🔗 Read Article at: (Link in bio)
https://www.beniciamagazine.com/the-kyle-hyland-foundation-a-lifeline-for-teens-in-benicia-and-vallejo/

✨ Follow the foundation at .

The Kyle Hyland Foundation reminds Benicia and Vallejo that even in the smallest towns, positive change can come from compassion, creativity, and the courage to talk openly about mental health.

Kyle’s legacy continues to spread through every note played, every brushstroke, and every conversation where a teen feels seen, heard, and supported, possibly for the first time.

Because of the Kyle Hyland Foundation, our small town is stronger, more connected, and full of hope.

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196 W Tennys Drive
Benicia, CA
94510

Telephone

(707) 980-1563

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After more than thirteen years publishing monthly, Benicia Magazine remains an integral part of the community, retaining high readership and successful strategies for advertisers. We cover local issues and events, and all the things that Benicia is known for: great eateries, a lively pub and cafe scene, art & culture, business, education, home & garden, community updates and much more. Subscribe or visit us online at http://beniciamagazine.com.